Despite its name, shea butter is not true dairy butter, nor is there any such animal known as the shea that gives shea milk. However, it looks like and has the consistency and look of dairy butter, and has been used in the preparation of fried foods in West Africa for many centuries. It is also one of the best natural skin care products available; women from countries like Gambia, Benin and Dahomey have used shea butter as a moisturizer and emollient for generations.

Where Does It Come From?

As you now know, shea butter is from a plant notice to West Africa; its range stretches across the continent like a belt running from Uganda in the east to Senegal in the west.

The fruit of the shea tree is crushed and boiled in order to extract the vegetable fat. This in turn is used not only as a food source but in a number of shea butter products. Those with sensitive skin care needs will be glad to know that shea butter lotion is useful in treating such conditions as:

• eczema


• rashes


• acne


• psoriasis


• ultraviolet damage

There are also shea butter products useful for medicinal purposes, such as the treatment of insect bites, burns and even scarring.

The Magic Ingredient

One of the naturally-occurring substances that is found in shea butter lotion and other products is calledcinnamic acid. In case you were wondering, it is indeed similar and has the same biochemical composition as the cinnamon used in desserts and breakfast dishes.

Unfortunately, this ingredient tends to degrade and is lost over time. This is why fresh shea butter moisturizer is better than a product that has sat on the shelf for a long time and may have lost its effectiveness.

Buy Only The Best

Like many commodities, shea butter is graded according to quality. Class A is the very best, and is used for the manufacture of the very best shea butter lotions and other natural skin care products used for healing. Class F is of very poor quality; while it may be a suitable additive for other sensitive skin care products such as soaps or shea butter moisturizers, this grade lacks the healing properties that the Class A substance offers.

It is important to make sure that you purchase only pure shea butter, and that it is as fresh as possible in order to get the full benefit. Sometimes, shea butter products have been adulterated with perfumes and cheap “fillers.” Pure shea butter costs more, but the extra expense will definitely be worth it when it comes to healing properties.